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Published by Aman, 2019-09-24 00:18:40

October LP Magazine

October LP Magazine

www.lifepositive.com
` 100
YOUR PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH COMPANION
October 2019
LEAVE A
SPIRITUAL
WILL
Create a legacy
of altruism in
your family
PAGE 26
Nirvana through the Net
How gurus are
using social media
to their advantage
PAGE 62
GURUSPEAK:
Swami Chidanand Saraswati
PAGE 40
PAGE 72
HEALING MOTHER EARTH
PAGE 46
Is Diwali a celebration of enlightenment?






A tradition of happiness
Dear Reader,
For the longest time, I used to get cheesed-off by statements like “Happiness is an inside job,” “Happiness depends upon ourselves, not circumstances,” or “Happiness is a state of mind.” I used to feel that they were mere platitudes that unconsciously blamed the victim and belittled the sufferings of those caught in unhappy circumstances.
However, as I grew in life, I realised the truth of these statements. They do not mean that you are supposed to be immune to your circumstantial suffering. Who can deny the pain of loss, heartbreak, failure, rejection, disease, and discrimination? It is human to feel pain and grieve for losses, but by emphasising the role of the inner Self, we divest situations and people of the power to determine our happiness. The question, therefore, is “What can I do to change my situation from a negative one to a happy one?” And the answers can vary. Sometimes it is not giving up and trying one more time, sometimes it is gathering courage and speaking our truth, sometimes it is walking away from toxicity, sometimes it is creating a healthy boundary or giving up a bad habit, and othertimes it can be thinking out of the box. The more we go within, the more cues we get about how to think and act in order to create a happy life for ourselves.
One of the things that give inordinate joy to humans is helping someone in need, selflessly. The pure happiness that this simple act unleashes is indescribable and is its own reward. And while it does not take much to be negative, the opportunity to do good does not cross our paths so often. To solve this problem, Jamuna Rangachari, former assistant editor of Life Positive, has come up with the novel idea of leaving a spiritual will, similar to a financial will, in the family. An act of selfless service that passes from one generation to another as a family legacy. Family traditions have a habit of surviving over generations simply because people feel that they owe it to their ancestors. What a wonderful way of creating the channel of
happiness to flow unceasingly into our lives! This Diwali, let’s pledge to lighten up a sad face and create a family tradition out of it. This will be bigger than all the riches we hope to leave behind for our loved ones.
Have a happy October!
- Editor
LP mascot: Laughing Buddha
October 2019 Vol. 23  Issue 07  Price ` 100
Chairman: Aditya Ahluwalia President: D R Kaarthikeyan Director: V Venkat
Editor: Shivi Verma
Technology CEO: Aman Chandra
EDITORIAL
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losZ HkoUrq lqf[ku~%] losZlUrq fujke;k%
losZ Hknzkf.k i’;Urq] ekdf’pn~nq%[kHkkd~Hkosr!
May all beings be happy, May all be healthy, May people have the well-being of all in mind, May nobody suffer in any way. — Vedic prayer
Edited by Shivi Verma. Printed and published by
Aditya Ahluwalia on behalf of Life Positive Pvt. Ltd. from F1/9, First floor, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase - I,
New Delhi-110 020
Printed at M.P. Printers, B-220, Phase 2 Noida, 201305
Member, Indian Newspaper Society
4 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


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LEAD STORY
The legacy of wisdom
Jamuna Rangachari explains how more than a wealth or property will, a spiritual will can be of immense benefit to our progeny
CLOSE ENCOUNTER
The New Age Valmiki
Meet Ramachandra Guruji, an epitome of spiritual transformation
HEARTSPEAK
Hide and seek with God
Uma Valluri feels that a belief in God might help some, while others may live a good life without it
FOOD
Fit and festive
Some healthful food for the forthcoming days of fun and feasting
06 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019
COVER STORY


CELEBRATION
Festival of enlightenment
Diwali is a celebration of man attaining enlightenment, says the author
ISF REPORT
A treasure trove of possibilities
The fifth Life Positive International Spiritual Festival in Coimbatore opened up a new world of exciting revelations for the participants
TREND
Nirvana through the Net
The bond between online seekers and their gurus is getting deeper
HEALING
When mother earth gets stressed
How geopathic stress affects us, and what we can do to deal with it
REGULAR COLUMNS
Response 08 Aha-moments 52 Mandala 10 Journey 60 Sharing 38 Mudra column 70 Guruspeak 40 Spirit 78
Positive focus 80 Revelations 86 Banyan tree 88
Cover photo: Adobe Stock, Photo credit: Adobe Stock, Cover design: Sandeep Kumar
Total pages 92, including the cover page and the back cover
Contents 07


RESPONSE
Deep insights
I recently stumbled upon Life Positive’s August 2019 issue and read Shivi Verma’s review of Nandini Kapadia’s book Life Finds Its Way. Shivi’s insights really resonated with me. I (as someone who has previously been both scorched and nourished by interactions with Sabyasachi Guha-the master on whom the book is based) find her take to be keenly perceptive, her grasp on his views precise, and her expression, inspiring. I am looking forward to reading more of her articles.
Twarit Golani, via email
Honest read
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Vidya Murlidhar for her brilliant article, The making of a Diva, in the August 2019 issue of Life Positive. She should contemplate writing her autobiography as she has the one essential quality which is a must for all autobiography writers—devastating honesty!
I greatly identified with the post 40s make-up part but would never have the honesty to admit it. The writing is so fresh, breezy, honest, and so bang on.
She is simply brilliant, and it was so much fun reading her article.
Nandini Sarkar, Kolkata
Terrific issue
Kudos to the Life Positive team for the terrific August 2019 issue. I enjoyed reading the cover story, Bringing home baby, by Sharmila Bhosale, the most. It was full of real insights into one’s inner Self and the stages of life which one often has to go through. The concept of ‘inner child’ was explained extremely well and written beautifully. I enjoyed reading it and learnt a lot from it as well.
Nandini Hoon, New Delhi
Revealing interview
I came across Shivi Verma’s interview with Dr Naresh, God’s own country, in the August 2019 issue of Life Positive. It was a highly esoteric and revealing read. It is relieving to know that religions are just the shell and spirituality is the core. Thank you for a wonderful interview.
Osho, via email
08 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019
Mail from our readers, online fans and subscribers
Letter of the month Inspiring cover story
Kudos to Punya Srivastava for writing the insightful lead story Practice. Smile. Repeat in the September 2019 issue of Life Positive. She has elucidated the parameters of consistency very well, the habit which is the main driving force behind success.
Most inspiring was the late Dr A P J Abdul Kalam’s story of perseverance and hard work.
Reading it was an awakening experience and I learnt a lot from the article. Extremely thankful to Life Positive for this great work.
Meera M, Kerala


full advt 8 X 10.4.indd 36 16/01/18 8:09 PM aroyga march 2017.indd 2 17/02/17 5:34 PM


MANDALA
Leonard Orr is no more
Loenard D. Orr, the founder of Rebirthing Breathwork International (RBI), a breathing technique that has healed over 10 million people across 27 countries passed away on September 5 2019 in Ashville, North Carolina.
Leonard had many spiritual experiences in his early days while sitting in his bathtub from 1962 to 1975. He experienced spontaneous regression to birth, prenatal and infancy memories. Continuous such experiences helped him discover and develop the technique of ‘connected breathing.’ In this method of breathing, inhalation and exhalation are merged with no pause in between. This floods the body with divine energy and this is how babies, animals, and most young children breathe.
This was the start of his revolutionary, rebirthing journey. In the beginning, he made people sit in the bath-tub, to help them
go through the process. He kept
observing, experimenting, and refining this till he came to the point where he discovered
‘Dry Rebirthing.’ A
process where people
could experience everything they
needed to within two
hours, but without
using the bath tub.
This rebirthing process
was simple yet deep and worked on the physical, mental and spiritual levels to
remove deep rooted pain, trauma, and tension, helping people experience unprecedented peace and relaxation.
Within no time his technique became hugely popular and he wrote 20 books to cater to his large audience. Leonard’s goal was to make the physical body immortal but he could not do it. He said that it was okay to have not achieved the goal, since the idea of challenging death helped him focus on health, right eating, and positive mental habits which gave him a smooth living experience. Leonard believed that in a previous lifetime he had worked perhaps 20 or 40 years on the Gayatri mantra. “It is the mantra of enlightenment that affirms our connection to infinite intelligence. So, because of my previous life conditioning, I was able to bear the fruit in this life,” he said.
He had met eight immortal yogis in his lifetime and has been their devoted student for over 28 years. One of them was Haidakhan Babaji, from Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. He had, personally introduced many of his students to Babaji and helped them get his
darshan personally.
Loenard D Orr, the founder of Rebirthing Breathwork International, healed over 10 million people across 27 countries.
10 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


IIT Delhi-incubated start-up, Sanfe, developed and launched the first-of-its-kind reusable sanitary napkins, made with composite banana fibre, which can last up to two years (around 120 washes). Founders Archit Agarwal and Harry Sehrawat, with various inputs from several IIT Delhi professors, developed this ultra-thin cloth pad which is highly absorbent with Quadrant True Lock Technology.
Owing to the taboo around menstruation still lingering in society, female hygiene is rarely discussed. “Many women miss out on their daily life activities during their menstrual cycle due to various reasons including high price and lack of availability of pads in rural areas. Not only that, the concept of using sanitary napkins is new to these women; hence they are averse to the idea. In such cases, cloth pads are helpful because of familiarity,” said Archit. Though many NGOs and CSR projects include distributing sanitary napkins
at subsidised rates, the larger picture of huge plastic waste
is ignored in addition to
the huge cost incurred,
and this accounts for only a short-term solution. He further stated that reusable pads can help organisations save up to 75 per cent of the cost.
According to Menstrual Hygiene Alliance of India (MHAI), there are almost
336 million menstruating women in India, of which 36 per cent use disposable sanitary pads summing up to 121 million. This generates approximately 12 billion disposable sanitary napkins made of plastic and synthetic materials, which either end up in landfills taking 50-60 years to decompose or are burnt, releasing carcinogenic fumes, adding to the hazardous air conditions. “Disposable sanitary pads is not a woman issue but a human issue,” added Archit.
Sanfe was birthed with the idea to design and develop products to improve female health and hygiene by Archit and Harry in their sophomore year. The banana fibres in the reusable terry sanitary napkin make it highly absorbent and leakproof. Prof. Srinivasan Venkataraman, Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at IIT Delhi, commended the efforts of Sanfe: “This start-up has carved a niche in the
domain of women healthcare and hygiene with the launch of another useful product. All the products of Sanfe cater to the important needs of women, use simple science, and are sold at affordable prices in the
market.”
As they say, necessity is
the mother of invention. Rising environmental concerns have led social entrepreneurs to explore options for a greener
lifestyle.
Harry Sehrawat and Archit Agarwal founded Sanfe which offers women safe and environmentally-friendly healthcare and hygiene products
Bleed green
Mandala 11


Kindness begins with YOU
It is rare to find another Mahatma Gandhi in this world. Be it nonviolence, compassion, strength, or virtuosity, Mahatma Gandhi
stands tall in all these aspects. In fact, many great leaders like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, and Barack Obama, have often cited Mahatma Gandhi as one of their inspirations.
“The simplest act of
kindness is by far more
powerful than a thousand
heads bowing in prayer,” said
Mahatma Gandhi. Inspired by such teachings, the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) concluded the first-ever World Youth Conference on Kindness at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on 23 August 2019, with the theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Gandhi for the Contemporary World. Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.’
With the aim of inculcating desirable qualities like empathy, compassion, mindfulness, and critical inquiry in the global youth and to inspire and enable them to transform themselves and build long-lasting peace in their communities, the conference hosted 60 international delegates from over 27 countries such as Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, each of whom have made a remarkable contribution in the field of positive social change.
The conference was inaugurated by the Honourable President of the Republic of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. In his speech, he said, “Mahatma Gandhi was not just a great
The first-ever World Youth Conference on Kindness was inaugrated by President Ram Nath Kovind at Vigyan Bhavan on August 23, 2019
leader and visionary. He was the one who personified certain timeless ideals and values. We could place Gandhiji in a time machine and transport him to any period of human existence and we would find him to be relevant. This is also true of the times we live in. Gandhiji remains extremely relevant to our present-day concerns such as terrorism, climate change,
and the need for peace and tolerance.”
Discussions by high-level panellists on topics such as The Art and Science of Peace, Talking Across Generations on Education: Can Kindness Prevent Violent Extremism? and Youth Agency: Scaling Up Acts of Kindness, provided deep insights. Grammy Award winner and UNESCO MGIEP’s global ambassador for kindness, Ricky Kej, created and produced a special anthem on kindness, Shine Your Light, which was also launched at the conference. The anthem showcased the simple acts of kindness in our everyday lives and how these acts can help solve our problems.
The conference also included a special address by the Union Cabinet Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal; Chair, Governing Board, UNESCO MGIEP, J S Rajput; Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, R. Subrahmanyam; Nobel Peace Laureate, Founder-Kailash Satyarthi’s Children’s Foundation, Kailash Satyarthi.
12 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


Towards a healthy India
What has led Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce the launch of
the Fit India Campaign? The
answer to this question is not
difficult to find. In India,
lifestyle diseases are
prevalent: 20.4 per cent
Indians are overweight
(Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation research
report, 2017) and have
hypertension as well as
high blood glucose and
cholesterol levels (4th
National Family Health
Survey). People as young as 35
and 40 die due to heart attacks.
More people now suffer and die of lifestyle diseases than ever before in the history of this country.
While addressing the nation on National Sports Day on 29 August 2019, PM Narendra Modi announced the Fit India Campaign mentioning many things related to our current health scenario. He said, “To do anything of value, we need to have a healthy body. A healthy body is a prerequisite for a healthy mind and greater efficiency. It is no coincidence that people who are successful entrepreneurs, sportspersons, and actors are all healthy and fit.”
There is no denying that when we work on our fitness, we learn to respect and understand our body in a way we have never done before. Said the PM, “I have seen many people who have realised the power of their body after turning to fitness. It has made them more confident and has helped in shaping positive personalities.”
The idea behind the campaign is to inspire people to engage in fitness and health-related
PM Narendra Modi launched Fit India Campaign on 29th August 2019 to promote health and fitness among Indians
activities. And its impact has been very heartening. People all over social media are posting their exercise videos and yoga postures. Workout groups are showing off group exercises, and not only young kids, but even senior citizens are happy to flaunt their weight training, running,
and yoga regimens.
Inspired by the movement, the president
of NASSCOM (The National Association of Software and Services Companies), Ms Debjani Ghosh, tweeted, “Kicking off the day with a 5 km walk is awesome. It is a great way to collect one’s thoughts and get sorted for the day. Thank you Hon’ble PM.”
Leading nutrition expert Rujuta Diwekar tweeted, “The Fit India Movement is a step in the right direction, and now it’s up to the state governments to provide and maintain the required infrastructure.”
Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma says, “I urge the people of Meghalaya to walk to their office, work, school, and colleges at least once a week. Personally, I have decided to walk to work every Wednesday, wherever I am.”
The positive spirit is being created, the tempo is being built, and now it is up to us to get into the groove and take charge of our fitness, thereby creating a healthy India.
Mandala 13


HEARTSPEAK
14
14
LifePo
Hide and seek with God
After going through a journey from atheism to spirituality, Uma Valluri feels that a belief in God might help some, while others may live a good life without it
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9
2019


I lost my father even before I reached my Tolerating God
15th birthday. He had been diagnosed
with a rare form of cancer just a few months before, though he had been ill with nonspecific symptoms for a year or so. During this period, my mother had tried all kinds of prayers and pujas, including offering a chaadar (cloth sheet) at a dargah (tomb of a Muslim saint) and attending a faith-healing session. Until then, we were a normal religious family observing festivals and lighting a lamp or so on the altar. My father would often take the name of Satyanarayana Swamy. We visited Annavaram and Tirupati. We also had a japamala with some glass beads that became our succour during the exam times, especially before the results!
My father’s life from diagnosis to death was a mere three months. I remember my mother was still sitting near the tulsi plant in my aunt’s house when my father breathed his last. She obviously knew there was no hope as, all along, she had been caring for him in the hospital. She was 41 and he was 46 when this happened.
When she broke down on receiving the news, complaining to God, well-meaning relatives told her it was karma or fate. And she took to that phrase and renounced her faith in God. She said, “If God cannot save me from my fate, I don’t need to pray.” Many people go through this phase on such occasions and then get back to normalcy. But being a strong character, she stuck to this stand till the end of her life some 38 years later. She never spared any opportunity to criticise people who prayed or believed in God and to argue that God did not exist. The first few years after my father’s death, this was more so. Being an impressionable teenager, I lapped up her opinions and argued with everyone around about the non-existence of God. And so it went on for 10 years without any problem.
Then I got married, and the next 15 years saw me go from resistance to tolerance of religion. Though I express it in a simple sentence, it was quite complicated. There were many routine pujas which husband and wife perform together as well as ceremonies around the birth of the child: offering its first hair at Tirupati, etc. Not to mention the role of the mother in instilling faith in her children.
Parallel to this journey of faith (or the lack of it) was the fact that life did not work out as I thought it would. I saw that most people around me would turn to God for problems beyond their control. How I wished I could do the same and my problems could vanish! On my sister’s advice, I started chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. But the conviction never came, and I couldn’t sustain for any long term results.
The building of connection
However, strangely, in the next few years, I did turn around and visited many religious places, temples, and did various types of pujas with complete faith. This was a very important segment of the journey. We took a trip to Kerala and Tamil Nadu and visited some old temples like Ananthapadmanabha, Kamakshi, Rameswaram and I felt good. In 2004, I was somehow drawn to Sai Baba through my sister- in-law’s family who are his very devout followers. I resonated with the lack of rituals on this path and the book Satcharita. Then in 2005, I met someone who taught the power of the Gayatri Mantra, which I chanted for some months. I also consulted a very reputed, experienced, and gifted astrologer who wasn’t commercial. He suggested some pujas, telling me that pujas or wearing gems, only give you confidence to deal with your situations; they may or may not change anything that’s happening. But I did
Heartspeak 15


the Rahu pooja in a Durga temple and felt very connected. That year I was literally immersed in God. I participated in the Navaratri pooja, received a lot of sacred kumkum and turmeric, visited Shirdi and had a close darshan of Sai Baba’s diety form during the aarthi. But, I still cannot sustain any practice for very long. Though I like to visit temples that are quiet, and uncrowded, and which allow me to sit for a while and meditate.
Around the same time, I attended a meditation session conducted by my friend Akila in her house. We read the book Celestine Prophecy and did all the exercises mentioned in the workbook. Another major contributor was Louise Hay’s Heal Your Life. A lady named Lalitha taught me mirror work and affirmations. And then I underwent a few past life regression sessions too. In this New Age literature, God was replaced by the Universe or Energy, and this gave me freedom to believe in God without having to perform any rituals. Also, it put the responsibility of my life into my hands, my thoughts, and my beliefs. Many other authors like Stephen Covey, Wayne Dyer, and Tony Robbins taught me how to look within myself and change my belief or thoughts if they interfered with my happiness.
Accepting life
Now, I want to answer the question: Does God really exist (for me)?
Well, one fact is that life is still not working according to my plans or desires. Like many others, I turn to prayer when things are bad, especially concerning loved ones. But life just follows its own course—sometimes I like it and sometimes I don’t.
Over the past 15 years, through the influence of Celestine Prophecy (people and incidents give
you messages) and Louise L Hay (the world is a reflection of your thoughts) I got trained to look for the underlying messages in situations, believing that the Universe is talking to me through them, and I need to listen. A friend and I used to discuss our experiences everyday and what we were supposed to learn from them.
Yet, sometimes I feel so stuck in a situation that I don’t know what the message is and how to move forward. I lose faith in this process of introspection, like my mother once disowned God. But, over the years, I have reinforced the belief that this Universe is not a God to be worshipped in a particular way, but an Energy that is indeed alive and speaking to me. It is full of love and support for me, but I am so caught up in my struggles that I fail to acknowledge it. There are many synchronicities like finding the right person to do something, finding unexpected help, things just falling in place, some deep understanding . . . if I am aware. I think our saints also experienced God in this way, but that God had a form and we called it devotion.
Deeper reflection
At a deeper level, I have understood that there is a scheme of things beyond my individual control, and I need to just accept. Even this journey from atheism to spirituality is part of the bigger scheme of things. But turning to a higher power using the words that I know and emotions that I feel, uplifts me. All prayer is to awaken the power within me to deal with what is at hand. I call it divine grace. It magically opens up some help, some favourable aspects that were hitherto hidden from my view, and gives me new directions or just new interpretations. Sometimes, it just forces me to give up; it gives me a new storyline or ends it.
Unlike my mother, there are several people
16 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


Heartspeak 17
with unshaken faith going through a lot of trauma in their lives—disease, betrayal, poverty, loneliness, and so on. And in all cases, my interpretation of their life was that there was an unseen thread of some support in all their difficult situations. Some grace that saved them from total breakdown. And, I think, at some level, they recognise it and hence their faith is unshaken.
Ok with the present
By the way, even my mother had a life with its ups and downs, like all of us. She was in excellent health and active till her end. And she had her own serving of loneliness and emotional upsets. I couldn’t know her internal thoughts, but outwardly, she wasn’t punished for abusing God. Though, many years ago, I had secretly wished that she get off her high horse of atheism one day and fall at God’s feet!
I know a friend’s family whose members are atheists and are wonderful human beings— with sattvic qualities, a zest for life, and successful careers.
So, to sum up: Belief in God or a higher power may or may not contribute to one’s life story or to being a good human. If it helps, go ahead. If not, nothing wrong. As long as my consciousness is at a level where I want an external agency to help me, this agency plays the role of giving me the illusion of making me feel that I was helped.
At some point, I may move on from this thought. But until then, so be it.
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]


CLOSE ENCOUNTER
18 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


The New Age Valmiki
The life of Ramchandra Guruji is a living testimony to the fact that even a tiny spark of awareness has the capacity to turn a wayward person into a saint says Pradeep Krishnan
The story of the robber Ratnakar’s conversion to Maharshi Valmiki (the author of Ramayana) during the Treta
Yuga is well known. In this Kali Yuga, the life of Ramachandra of Bengaluru, Karnataka, stands testimony to the fact that such a miraculous transformation of an individual—from sinner to saint—is possible, even in this age.
Born on 1 July 1963 to Sri Byrappa Swamiji and Smt Narayanamma, Ramachandra was initiated into spirituality at the age of eight by his father. After leading a reckless life during his teenage years, experiencing all that is considered taboo by society, in his later life, destiny took him to several spiritual masters, enabling him to discover deep spiritual secrets.
Thus, the once prodigal son was transformed into Ramachandra Guruji, spiritual master, helping people with their spiritual growth and holistic well-being. He says, “There are many things beyond physical existence, which our modern science barely explains. However, spiritual science deals with all the queries and heals most of the problems with their origin in the human mind. One can find the true essence of existence deeper within, in one’s own Self. We reincarnate again and again to complete
the incomplete actions, deeds, and debts of the past. Spirituality brings that completeness to one’s life.”
In order to enable people to take up the inner journey and to transcend the physical, Guruji (as he is affectionately addressed by his disciples) has devised diverse programmes for different types: Prayer-art of the Heart, Student Therapy, Spiritual Hypnotherapy, Mystic Healing, and Kundalini Deeksha. A recipient of several awards and honours, Ramachandra Guruji has so far held about 10,000 sessions and workshops on different aspects of spirituality and healing in India and abroad, including the USA, Malaysia, and Singapore. His programmes on various Kannada TV channels are a hit. Recently, after extensive research, he has devised a practical course “Hanuman—The Supreme Hero in You,” to unleash the power hidden within one through Hanuman Chalisa. Considering his services, the Bengaluru-based Indian Virtual University conferred on him an honorary doctorate in Spiritual Hypnotherapy, in 2016.
Sitting in the open-air dining hall of Hotel Leela International, Bengaluru, located between an artificial waterfall on one side and a beautiful
Close Encounter 19


flower garden filled with yellow, blue, and orange flowers on the other, Dr Ramachandra Guruji spoke to Pradeep Krishnan about his unique spiritual path.
Guruji, tell us about your life and how you came to the spiritual path.
I was born in 1963 in a traditional middle- class farming community in Madderi village, in Kolar district. Being a village lad, I enjoyed playing with friends, often worked in the paddy fields, and had the freedom to explore life around. As a teenager, I disregarded family and societal norms and un-ashamedly and fearlessly indulged in activities such as gambling, smoking, drinking, and chasing girls, considered taboo or forbidden by society. My family was totally disappointed and disillusioned with me as I had brought dishonour to the family. In such a pathetic condition, Yashoda (my wife) came into my life in 1989 without any knowledge about my reckless life. Our sons Mohan and Bharath were born in 1994 and 1998 respectively.
Then how did you turn to spirituality? What was the turning point?
Rather than a hero, I was a big zero in life, with mounting debts and depressing conditions. I had heard that once king Tipu Sultan had to pledge his children to the British as part of paying his indemnity. At that time, my own condition was no different. Faced with either saavu (death) or sadhana (spiritual practice), I chose the latter to undo all that I had done. Seeking my wife’s permission, I became a recluse for seven years.
Where were you during those years?
Away from my family and society, initially, I lived alone without any food or shelter in M M hills, a forest infested with wild animals. Then, I roamed around the Himalayas meeting and staying with all sorts of saints: sadhus, babas, and siddhas, who helped me explore the deeper truths of life. One day, in deep meditation, a Eureka moment happened. I realised that in one of my previous lives, I had been a Buddhist monk. Surprisingly, soon after this incident, the Rakshasa gunas—fear, hatred, lust, anger, greed, and grief—left me. I could literally feel the new life-force pulsating within, making life a celebration! It dawned on me that the body is a hallowed medium for experiencing all that is secret and sacred, within and without. I felt the entire creation as Sathyam, Shivam, Sundaram. When, with the newfound energy, I returned to my family, everything looked different! Jaisa drishti vaisa srishti (As is our perception, so is our reality.)
What did you learn from the Himalayan masters?
The company of different sects of sages, who were deeply engaged in sadhana, was really a blessing as they taught me through their practices. They completely changed my perception of life. I realised that life is sacred and precious and one has to live intensely, moment by moment. These masters had introduced me to psycho-spiritual and past life regression therapies and advised me to use them for the benefit of humanity.
Who is your spiritual guru?
My parents were my first gurus; subsequently, I had several gurus. Are not Life and Nature the greatest masters! We can learn from all those
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Close Encounter 21


whom we come across in our life if we are open enough. As one’s experiences, circumstances, choices, etc., have tremendous influence in shaping one’s life, they have to be considered as gurus.
Please tell about the different types of healing techniques used by you?
New research in the medical field has found that 90 per cent of diseases are psychosomatic in nature and only 10 per cent are physiological in origin. Asthma, cancer, cardiac problems, stress, anxiety, insomnia, obesity, hyper- and hypotension, diabetes, etc., have their roots in our karmic baggage, which is linked to genetics, i.e., linked to the individual’s manas (mind) or chitta, which is the storehouse of all memories, past and present. In hypnotherapy, the subconscious mind of the person is accessed to identify and cure the ailment. This method has helped hundreds of people suffering from loneliness, anxiety, fears and phobias, low self- esteem, problems in relationships, and marital discord.
Past life regression therapy helps one to get rid of chronic emotional and mental blockages such as drug or alcohol addictions, without the use of drugs by altering the brain chemistry and thereby releasing trauma from the mind, body, and spirit of the person concerned.
During the past 25 years, I have helped and healed hundreds of people with such conditions. A specific problem with a lifelong pattern is worked out in a few sessions. However, it is essential that each layer of the trauma—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—be transformed and integrated for complete healing to happen.
Is there any connection between past
life and diseases? Can one get rid of one’s prarabdha karma (karma to be carried out in the present body)?
One’s health condition is genetically determined and karmically sustained by environmental factors as well as one’s lifestyle choices. According to ayurveda, one’s own karmic actions revisit in the form of diseases. Our ancestors have prescribed an integrated lifestyle to bring healing, balance, and harmony in one’s life: Daana (charity), dharma (right thinking and right actions), seva (selfless service), vratha (time-bound ritualistic practice), japa (chanting), puja (rituals), prarthana (prayer), dhyana (meditation), etc., are part of holistic living that helps to cleanse and heal the past karmic patterns and ailments.
What is the role of beliefs in one’s life?
Belief is accepting something without physical proof. It plays a decisive role in one’s life as it helps to make or mar health. Studies show that the chances of recovery for a patient who has neither trust in the doctor nor in the efficacy of the medicines are bleak. I know from experience that those who have firm faith recover quickly.
You say that the ultimate goal of human life is moksha or liberation. Please explain.
The popular belief that moksha is a physical place to reach after death is not correct. Rather, it is a mental state in which one is not affected by anything of the past, present, or future. It is a state of complete equilibrium, experiencing life moment to moment, with absolute freedom. A person having such a state of mind will not have any sufferings, worries, miseries, fear, and sadness.
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How can one achieve such a state of mind?
For that, one has to purify the chitta through spiritual practices. Life lived with awareness is a blessing as it frees one’s manas from ignorance, fear, and the karmic baggage. One of the methods I suggest is to watch the incoming and outgoing breath so that the senses are shut to the outside stimulus and response cycle. Moksha happens on its own in due course.
Is this state the same as Self-discovery?
Yes, but explained differently. Discovering one’s true Self is discovering God within— the state of sat-chit-ananda, which is our true nature. In meditation, by fine-tuning the mind, one travels within: body to mind, mind to intellect, and intellect to Self, i.e., from annamaya kosha (physical body) to anandamaya
kosha (bliss body), described as a nirvanic or nirvikalpa state. By whatever name we call it— Atman, Soul, Self, Being, or Life Force—it’s the source of our existence. It is the Self that powers our mind and body. Returning to our Source is all that there is before we end our journey in this physical form. We are free souls bound by bondages. Being slaves to our senses, we are unable to see life beyond the senses.
How does one get rid of human suffering or how does one make progress on the spiritual path?
Lost in the world of senses, we are busy gratifying them, making them our masters. Atma Vidya or Self-knowledge frees one from ignorance and suffering. Today, people ‘seem to know’ about everything and everyone except themselves. Being scared of one’s own Self leads
Close Encounter 23


to outward exploration. Driven by greed, lust, ambition, and complexes, we undertake the unending ego trip, never arriving ‘home,’ until frustration haunts us like a shadow. Acquiring Self-knowledge through spiritual sadhana is one of the ways to end suffering.
What is your concept of God?
Understand that the word ‘God’ is not God; rather, it is just a sound. When we realise that God is neither a concept nor a belief and it’s beyond our intellectual understanding, then there’s a possibility to experience this strange phenomenon right now, here, everywhere, in everything. That’s why rishis of yore described it as Tatvamasi (You are That), Aham Brahmasmi (I am That), and Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma (Everyone and everything is That). My concept of God is Sarvantharayami: omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient, the in-dweller of animate and inanimate existence.
The number of suicides and crime rates is increasing day by day. Even within the family, child abuses and rapes are taking place. What is the way out?
Suicides happen because of ignorance. Our shastras say, “As the food, so the mind.” What we feed our body, mind, senses, intellect, and emotions has a profound effect on our character. Self-knowledge alone can end all sufferings. The only way is to educate people at all levels: individual, family, school, etc. Here, religion can play a vital role in leading one on the path of swadharma, the path of righteousness.
What is the role of rituals?
All will agree that an idle mind can be a devil’s
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
workshop. So, in order to engage one’s mind constructively and creatively, rishis from time to time have introduced rituals and practices. Though they differ from culture to culture, they have a unique place in moulding the individual by bringing peace and harmony.
What is unique about Hanuman Chalisa?
Hanuman is the healer of our past, present, and future. Hanuman Chalisa, a 40-stanza vibrant hymn praising Lord Hanuman, is a unique stotra mantra (hymn of praise) composed by the saint-poet Tulsidas Goswami in the 16th century. My experience has been that chanting this mantra helps to activate the subconscious mind—which is 90 times more powerful and creative than our conscious mind—and thereby cleanse and clear one’s negative emotions: jealousy, hatred, anger, lust, grief, fear, ego, and guilt. I have experienced this mantra’s therapeutic effect on the body, mind, and soul. Also, it brings rhythm and harmony in breathing and the heartbeat. It can release excessive stress and tranquilise our mind. It can enhance our aura, which is a biomagnetic field protecting our immunity system.
Message to readers?
Dear noble souls, realise that attaining Jivanmukti or liberation before we leave this body should be one’s goal in this janma (incarnation)! In Bhajagovindam, Sri Shankaracharya has shared beautifully the access to Jivanmukti: “Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment; through non-attachment there arises freedom from delusion; through freedom from delusion there arises steadfastness; through steadfastness, there arises liberation in life.”
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Psycho Spiritual Hypnotherapy
Science of Hypnosis
States of Mind & Levels of Trance
Induc on Techniques
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Spirit (Nega ve Energy) and Soul Healing
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Learn Cleansing, Releasing & Healing
Therapies to overcome Psychosoma c problems Karma theory & Spirituality
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Child level Regression Womb level Regression Age Regression
Future Life Progression Past Life Regression
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LEAD STORY
More than a wealth or property will, a spiritual will can be of immense benefit to our progeny by instilling in them priceless values, says Jamuna Rangachari
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Soon after my marriage, my late anything interesting in their lives. However,
mother-in-law took me aside and
told me that our family was all about promoting education. “Whatever else you may choose to do dear, please donate something to someone to promote education. This could be a book, school fees paid for a month, or the sponsorship of a child. It could even be you teaching someone on a voluntary basis,” she explained. This had actually happened in our family. My late father-in-law had sponsored the complete education of a house help, who is now employed in a bank and is always part of our family celebrations. I am proud of belonging to this lineage and would definitely wish to carry it forward. Hence, every year, in my parents-in-law’s names, we try to focus on educating others in whichever way we can and have requested our children too to follow this family tradition.
Most of us want to be remembered by our children and grandchildren for generations to come. We like to tell them how much they mean to us by leaving them valuables and assets before passing away. This is why we create a will mentioning who our possessions shall go to. While this is important, is it not more important to leave behind a spiritual will as well?
Unlike an ordinary will, a spiritual will is a document that passes on wisdom and valuable experiences rather than money. In other words, it is about values rather than valuables. It is also called an ethical will. In the Hindu tradition, it is called pitru pooja (remembering our ancestors). The ethical will is also a Jewish tradition that dates back to ancient times and emphasises a legacy of transferring values over material things. Putting together this kind of will is powerful because it validates our lives. Sometimes people feel that they haven’t done
taking stock of their lives can lead them to important insights.
Spiritual legacy
People tend to think that a legacy is something only the extremely wealthy or extremely influential can hope to leave. This is unfortunate because we all leave behind a legacy of one kind or another, whether consciously or unconsciously. Most traditions, rituals, or behavioural patterns that are observed in a family are passed down over generations. Therefore, it is important to think about the kind of legacy we would want to leave and then work toward that goal in a conscious manner.
Life is a process of learning. It always looks different when viewed from a spiritual perspective. Those with spiritual awareness recognise their negative patterns and strive hard to eliminate them from their lives. Looking at life from a spiritual angle transforms our inner state from fear to dignity, from anxiety to courage, from sorrow to fulfilment, and from anger to peace. We can surely pass on the spiritual lessons we have learnt to the coming generations.
A question we could ask ourselves is, “What am I doing RIGHT NOW to help my children know the truth and walk it?” After all, spirituality is not a goal to be achieved but a truth to be lived by consistently.
Who are we?
We all need to understand what we as individuals and as a community stand for and decide what we would like to perpetuate here on earth even when we have passed on to the next world.
Sri Satishji, a spiritual teacher and an artist
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from Mumbai, is also the founder of Swarg Foundation. For the past few years, he has been sharing his teachings in a light-hearted manner with friends across the world through his Aatmic Awareness programmes. This has helped countless people to find inner peace and happiness in their lives. An essential aspect of this ‘Aatmic awakening’ consists of transcending our ego-based state of consciousness with the help of satvik food, yoga, pranayama, and meditation. He has created a place called ARHAM (to heal mind, body, and soul) where he wants to share the truth of life and heal people through nature cure. He is also building a retreat for senior citizens— DIVYALOK: parenting the parents—and plans to build a gurukul for schoolgoing children.
Life is a process of learning. It always looks different when viewed from
a spiritual perspective. Those with spiritual awareness recognise their negative patterns and strive hard to eliminate them from their lives. Looking at life from a spiritual angle transforms our inner state from fear to dignity, from anxiety to courage, from sorrow to fulfilment, and from anger to peace.
By selflessly serving the needy we satiate our soul
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He wants his work to continue even after he leaves this body. He says, “I want many sadhaks to join me and continue this work after I have left this body. We visit many old-age homes to share the understanding of happiness and conduct free workshops with Adivasi (tribal) and village kids to tell them how to grow in happiness. We are even starting a spiritual retreat for senior citizens, Vanaprastha Ashram, so they can be totally karma-free and happy before they leave the earth. An atmosphere is being set, and we want everyone to come and help the elderly by sharing their love with them. I want people to organise this kind of a plan in their cities to help the sick, the elderly, and children and bring them happiness.”
He is clear that the mind will never solve any problems but the heart will.
We all know that we have come back to earth to finish our incomplete work, our pending karma, and to correct and balance our wrongdoings. Your birth is an opportunity to forgive yourself and others, and tie yourself again with the sutra (thread) of oneness. Through every act of ours, we are building karma, and we will have to face the results of our actions. It doesn’t matter whether you are doing good or bad—both have results. But there is one way by which you can build no karma, and it is the way of love. When you do your work with total love, without any expectations in return, as though you are working for the divine, it becomes karma yoga. Leaving a spiritual will by pledging to do selfless acts and creating a family tradition out of it is part of karma yoga.
Creating legacies
Sri Satishji is someone who runs an established organisation. However, individually, we too can create such legacies. Nandini Shah, an investment advisor, a kathak dancer, and a
Your birth is an opportunity to forgive yourself and others, and tie yourself again with the sutra (thread) of oneness. Through every act of ours, we are building karma, and we will have to face the results of our actions. It doesn’t matter whether you are doing good or bad—both have results.
follower of the SSY (Siddha Samadhi Yoga) traditions, wishes to share all the values she has learnt at the SSY centre with the youngsters in her family. She says, “I would like the youngsters in my family to share some time with the aged, be it family or strangers who are in their silver years. Loneliness and boredom affect the elderly in a big way, especially when, physically, they cannot do as much as they could when they were younger and more agile.”
She requests the youth to be compassionate caregivers, sensitive listeners to their experiences, and avid sharers of stories. She would like them to be care-buddies for the senior citizens, to help them banish depression.
She continues, “Also, in my spiritual will, I would like the gen-next to contribute to cancer patients’ medical needs or sponsor a cancer coach who could help patients find inner strength to battle the dreadful disease, which is most often linked to past karma, for lack of a medical explanation.” She realises
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it would be unfair on her part to make such a will if she has not set an example. So, she tries to spend some time with the elders in her neighbourhood every evening. They are often found sitting on park benches, recollecting memories of their sons and daughters who have now settled overseas with their own expanding families, leaving them in the company of silent photographs, sent every now and then.
In another area, with a close one battling cancer, she tries to be the hope that can keep him spirited towards life. As Nandini is herself setting an example, her family is likely to follow her spiritual will.
Another such example is that of Naumrata Arora Singh, who is a writer and a seasoned workshop facilitator with the vision to awaken and galvanise the feminine spirit to engender the transformation of human consciousness. She has been delivering a variety of sessions on climate change and compassion to a global audience for almost 20 years and is the Founder of Life Beyond Motherhood and Zemyna Foundation (Zemyna means Earth Goddess).
After doing all of this, she says, “I have a vision of opening a spiritual ecology centre or institute that collectively stands for what my close members have to offer: my father is an architect; my mom, a teacher; my sister is into sustainability; and I am into spiritual ecofeminism. (It is a branch of feminism that sees environmentalism and the relationship between women and the earth as foundational to its analysis and practice. Ecofeminist thinkers draw on the concept of gender to analyse the relationships between humans and the natural world).
“I hope, at this beautiful centre set in nature, people will come, stay, and learn practices that help them connect with themselves and develop a deep connection with others as well as our planet. I am leaving behind my library of specially curated books and writings for my daughter. I am instilling in her human values of love and compassion for herself, others, and our planet.”
Swamini Aaradhanananda, the editor of Chinmaya Mission’s inhouse magazine, is
Lead Story 31


passionate about writing and espousing social causes. She says, “I would want my loved ones to restore the dignity of women who are victims of dowry or domestic abuse by empowering them in every which way. I also want to start an organisation called ‘Chittalekha’ to conduct writing workshops and publish the writing of excellent writers who can’t afford the means.”
When do we do this?
I begin this section with one of my favourite stories:
“Suzuki Roshi, I’ve been listening to your lectures for years,” a student said during the question and answer time following a lecture, “but I just don’t understand. Could you please put it in a nutshell? Can you reduce Buddhism to one phrase?”
Everyone laughed. Suzuki laughed. “Everything changes,” he said. Then he asked for another question.
One of the foremost teachings of Buddhism is that everything in life is impermanent. This is what Suzuki Roshi (Shunryu Suzuki of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind) referred to by saying ‘everything changes.’ It is a deep teaching that encompasses everything. You can contemplate for hours on end and not realise the full magnitude of the principle of impermanence. You are impermanent, your loved ones are impermanent, your home is impermanent, even our planet is impermanent.
Why is this important? Because it teaches us that grasping onto things is one of the major reasons why we suffer. We need to be aware of the ever-changing nature of reality and appreciate the present moment. It’s not about letting go but more about not grasping in the
first place. If we can learn to live in this way, we can find peace in everyday life.
Those who recognise the impermanence of material life also recognise that only spiritual values have eternal life. Nobody remembers the Buddha for his palaces, jewels, and power. Had he focussed only on them, his name would have gone to dust like many other rulers and kings. But his legacy continues to live and inspire millions, even 2000 years after his demise because he prioritised searching for the
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The principle of impermanence is about being aware of the ever- changing nature of reality and appreciating the present moment.


We need to be aware of the ever-changing nature of reality and appreciate the present moment. It’s not about letting go but more about not grasping in the first place. If we can learn to live in this way, we can find peace in everyday life.
truth and then disseminating this knowledge amongst the masses over enjoying material comforts. His legacy continues to feed the evergrowing mass of human awareness and act as a lodestar to humans looking for guidance and direction. Even though he was initially hesitant to spread the knowledge he had gained, eventually, he gave in to the prodding of his conscience and began teaching people about the ways to find ultimate salvation. And the rest is history.
Walking on the right path now
Writing about what we would want our children to continue doing as part of family legacy can also guide us on the right path
in our current lives. These actions create the blueprint for what we would like to be remembered for. When we think of our body as only a garment, we naturally begin to work for things that matter eternally and not for impermanent aspects of life like ego, wealth, and possessions.
This is perhaps the greatest benefit of working on a spiritual will or legacy, whatever we may call it.
Ameeta Sanghvi Shah, a psychotherapist from Delhi, says, “I think creating a spiritual will is a great idea therapeutically too. Getting people to write these in a session propels them
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It’s similar to what Stephen Covey says: “Begin with the end
in mind. How would you like to be remembered? Imagine your funeral and imagine what people attending are remembering you for. This idea can go down generations to guide your lineage and inspire them. It would include your life stories and life lessons that breathe life into values.
to make the changes that are true to their ideas about creating a spiritual family legacy. This idea goes a step further from creating a mission statement that can guide us in creating our life path and awakening us to our life purpose.” It’s similar to what Stephen Covey says: “Begin with the end in mind. How would you like to be remembered? Imagine your funeral and imagine what people attending are remembering you for. This idea can go down generations to guide your lineage and inspire them. It would include your life stories and life lessons that breathe life into values.”
However, many do not wish to ask anyone to do anything as this may seem like a forced endeavour.
Jayagopi Doss, an astrologer, says, “I would just like my children to remember that inner strength is the only strength we have. This is
what I have tried to teach them always and hope they never forget this. Beyond this, I do not want to ask them to do anything as this shall surely come naturally.”
Rajeev Chaudhary from Delhi wants his children to remember him only for the values he espouses such as charity, compassion, and understanding. This is what most of us on the spiritual path also want.
On another note, Chitra Jha, a holistic healer from Delhi, feels we need not impose anything on anyone. She says, “My children can do whatever they feel like doing at that time. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. Left to me, I would prefer least issues; so I prefer electrical crematorium and putting the ashes in any nearby water body, if at all. What is more important to me is a living will, which would tell my loved ones that I opt for euthanasia and not to be put on any life support.”
Since euthanasia is a controversial topic and it is difficult to find acceptance for it in the Indian society, both legally and socially, I think it might take some time before we get to the space of leaving a will of this sort.
Gifting organs
Coming back to the spiritual will, a key area we all can explore is of donating organs. This is something that can live on for much longer after we have gone. According to me, it is one of the best gifts we can give to another person. There are some who do not agree with this, even quoting spiritual reasons cited by a few religions, but many believe that nothing can be more spiritual than donating one’s organs so that someone’s life can get benefitted.
For, while death takes you away, your organs can stay and save another life.
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Donating an organ is the greatest gift we can give to another person and is one of the most selfless acts
The best gift of all
Very often, organ donation is done at a time when the entire family is in a state of anguish, which makes this act all the more great and noble. Let me share the story of one such remarkable family:
The life of Malkit Singh was cut short when he was admitted to PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) on account of suffering a head injury due to a fall in April 2019. His family took the decision of donating his organs. Says his father, Naresh, “He died the same way he lived, by caring and giving. Compassion was, in fact, at the core of his being. During his life, he gave others the gift of life through his regular blood donations. In death, he became a saviour for many lives by being an organ donor. We could not be more proud of him.” The wailing mother, Nirmala Devi, said, “Strange are God’s ways. It was so sudden. In less than two days he was gone, and we were all left standing, dumb, empty-handed, not able to do anything.” The fact that they donated his organs despite their own sorrow says a lot about their inner strength.
A similar thing happened in Kolkata in 2018 when the first heart transplant surgery restored a person’s life completely. The recipient was from Jharkhand and the donor was from Karnataka.
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The supreme gift of all: Organs
The need for organ donation has never been greater. More than half a million Indians are estimated to be in dire need of an organ transplant.
In India, nearly 500,000 people die because of non-availability of organs, 200,000 people die of liver disease, 50,000 people die of heart disease, 150,000 people await a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get one, and 1,000,000 people suffer from corneal blindness and await a transplant. Yet, less than a thousand transplants from deceased donors are performed each year—an incredibly small and insignificant number compared to the statistics around the world. Some of these people will find a living donor who will donate an organ to them. The rest will probably die waiting for an organ.
To understand organ donation, it is first important to understand organ transplant. A transplant is a medical procedure whereby a person’s dysfunctional organ or tissue is replaced by a healthy one, thus restoring its function. In certain cases, despite major advances in medical science, transplant is the only alternative. Transplants drastically improve the quality of life of patients and give them another chance to live.
One organ donor can donate up to 25 different organs and tissues for transplantation. This can save up to nine lives!
Organs that can be donated include kidneys, liver, pancreas, lungs, and heart, while tissue constitutes eyes, skin, bone, bone marrow, nerves, brain, heart valves, eardrum, ear bones, and blood.
Donating an organ is the greatest gift we can give to another person. As it is usually done for an unknown person, it is also the most selfless act of all.
My spiritual will
I thought a lot about what I would like my children to do after I move on and decided to request them to do the following. Just a request, no force.
• Plant at least one tree every year and take care of it to the best of your ability. This shall definitely make your life and that of society greener and more wholesome.
• Sponsor or help a child in getting educated. I would prefer this to be a child in India, my homeland.
• Donate all my functional organs to the nearest hospital. For this, some amount of research has to be done so that there is no delay as time is critical here and one needs to be prepared about what
to do next.
What I do NOT want
I do not want any rituals in my name, year after year, after my last rites are performed. I would, however, like both my children to decide to meet on any mutually convenient day and remember our times together, along with their new families.
– Jamuna Rangachari
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Essentially, every donor’s story is the story of resurrection. Out of death and despair comes a new life. Recently, Dutch lawmakers took a step forward in this direction by bringing a bill on a ‘yes unless’ for organ donation. If the bill becomes a law, it would make everyone in the Netherlands an automatic organ donor unless they request otherwise. This will make more organs available for transplant. “This is great news for everyone on the waiting list,” said parliamentarian Pia Dijkstra, who drafted the bill. “Every year, 150 people, who could have been alive with a donated organ, die.” 75 members of parliament voted for the bill and 74 voted against it. The bill will now move on to the upper house of parliament according
to Dutch News. India, as a nation with a big population, can take a leaf from the Dutch and spread awareness about this cause amongst its people.
We all die and move on to a new world. This is the eternal truth. If we could only think about what we would like to leave behind as memories and a legacy, it can create a much better world. This act of leaving a spiritual will, will make us supremely grateful for the life we have been blessed with and automatically make us walk on the right path. Leaving behind a spiritual legacy underscores the point that we are essentially spiritual beings having a physical experience.
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
Astrology is all about possibilities
Astrology is all about choices. Astrology in Hindi or Sanskrit has another name: jyotish. Jyotish literally means ‘jyoti ka ish.’ Jyoti means light and ish means God. Thus it represents God’s light. So, astrology is like a torchbearer, guiding your way to the future. But in no way does it limit your path; rather, it is one of the most expansive ways to guide you on the path of life. For example, when you are running the maha dasha (period) of any planet, it means that the vibration or force of this planet will be strong for you. But if the planet is not strong in your horoscope (janam patrika or natal chart), the dasha will not be good for you.
Astrologically, every planet has thousands of possibilities. For example, Ketu is one of the nodal planets or shadowy planets. Whenever its period comes up, we lose our
mental clarity. Generally, people are petrified of this period as it represents bad luck and struggle; misconceptions happen and hardships increase.
But Ketu can increase your knowledge as well as spirituality. So, during the period of Ketu, if you turn your effort towards contemplation and increasing your self-potential, you can make the most of this period. Also, if you limit your interactions to only the spiritually inclined, you will feel content in life. So, during the running period of any planet, if you make your decisions choosing the best qualities of that planet, you will make the most of your potential.
Contrary to general belief, astrology does recognise free will. The tenth house is of karma, which represents your current life. Besides, astrologers also recommend remedies, commonly known as ‘upayas,’ thus indicating
the power of choice to change your reality. When you follow a remedy, you create some vibrational shifts in your life, which convert your actions into manifestations.
Astrology is awareness. It is one of the most potent sciences to guide you regarding your future. It is not something written in stone; one should consider it a suggestive science. You can take suggestions from it as to how you can act in the best possible way beneficial to you. Astrology is a tool and a study of empowerment.
Dr. Sheesham Bansal
18 years of diverse experience and six times DOCTORATE in Astrology, Numerology, and Vedas.
9650280504, 9891350543 www.sheeshambansal.com • [email protected]
Lead Story 37


SHARING
I nder Sain worked as a peon in the same section of a government ministry in which I worked. One day, while he was
having his lunch in his seat, I noticed that his food comprised four to five curled chapattis and a few dried slices of colocasia (arbi). He tore a bite, rolled half a crescent of arbi in it and pushed the dry combo in his mouth for chewing. Kamal, a young and bubbly daily wager, a jolly type, was with him, eating his lunch at the same table. My seat, being adjacent to theirs, allowed me to see them if I wished to, without their knowing, and hear all their conversation.
within
Gurjas Kaur Chahal narrates a simple yet heartening story of a despondent man who transformed into a self- dependent individual
Kamal’s parathas were smeared with ghee, and his bowl of chickpeas was laced with spices. He shared one paratha and three to four hearty scoops of chickpeas with Inder Sain. The latter gave him some arbi from his dibbi (container). The moment Kamal ate a bite of it, he exclaimed, “Oh my God, it is so hot!” Perhaps the veggie was high on red chillies.
Kamal, being of a candid nature, frankly told Inder that he would not eat any more of the arbi and asked him why it was so hot. Inder Sain thought for a while before saying that his daughter-in-law was not in a good mood toward him and his wife in the morning. Kamal asked why his wife could not cook the food. Inder Sain replied that she had a fever.
I remember Inder Sain had married off his son only a month ago and was very proud of his
Change from
38 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


daughter-in-law. He used to say he had found an educated match for his engineer son and expected his daughter-in-law to respect him and his wife for having given her an engineer husband, despite him being only a peon and that too with paralytic legs. Within a few days, however, he learnt that his son’s wife was not what he thought she would be. She was not only ashamed of her father-in-law’s low rank but also hated him for being a cripple.
Every day, at the lunch hour, I heard something or the other from my adjacent desk, which stirred my thoughts and made me pity Inder Sain. He liked Kamal’s food, for he always took a large helping from it. His own food was often bland or dry or sometimes chilli-red. His general appearance also started becoming haggard. Stubble stayed on his face for days and his cheeks became hollow. His shoes were often dirty and stinky.
One day, he was sent to get some office letters delivered to the postal section. He slipped on the way and fell down in such a way that his entire body weight came on one hand, thereby breaking the wrist joint.
He applied for medical leave and stopped coming to the office. People missed him, but (as with any other office) things started running normally within a few days.
When he returned, he seemed to have adjusted to his life’s predicaments. He relished his food. His shoes were washed, face was shaven, and
overall cleanliness was a mark above his earlier days.
When the lunch hour came, Kamal and he got chatting. They spread used paper on the table and opened their tiffins on it. Kamal asked him how his stay at home during his illness was and if everything went well. Inder Sain answered that the slights from his daughter-in-law were as green as ever but he had learnt to face them. The key was that he was now self-dependent. And how did this change come about? Inder Sain’s wife had taken him along with her to attend a religious discourse at their local temple where the preacher was explaining how to become a ‘svapaki,’ that is, how to cook yogic food for oneself on one’s own. It was a simple way to cook nutritious food. Inder Sain liked the concept and imbibed it in his life. This had a parallelly beneficial effect on his habits. He not only started cooking his own food but also washing his own clothes.
These two activities—cooking and washing— linked him to the present every day. It made him active and self-dependent, and such changes brought about another big change in him. He stopped expecting anything from others, including his wife.
Kamal, being at least 15 years younger than Inder Sain, did not understand the real import of imbibing the principle of ‘svapaki,’ but he did feel that whatever his dear friend was saying was an important life lesson.
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
Sharing 39


GURUSPEAK
Diwali mantra: Give more, want less
HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswati urges people to em- brace the spirit of service, starting this Diwali
The key to removing the ‘want’ we may restore the bounty of the of a river. It continues with the
and the ceaseless desires from our lives is to give more, serve more, and sacrifice more. One of the most common Hindu rituals is a yagna fire. Devotees sit in a circle around the sacred fire and place offerings into the flames. With each offering, after each mantra, the priest chants idam namamah. This means ‘Not for me, but for You.’ The purpose of this is to remind ourselves that everything is for God. We must offer every thought, every action, and every breath at His holy feet. We must give more and want less.
This Navratri and Diwali season, let us take up this mantra of selfless service, to help us be the light we want to see in the world. This Diwali, let us resolve not only to light the lamps outside but to be the lights ourselves. Instead of asking Mahalakshmi for the bounty of wealth, let us ask how
world. Puja (ritual) and prayer do not only mean that which we do sitting in our mandirs (temples); it is how we live our lives. Arpan (offering) is not done only in the midst of a religious ritual; it teaches us how to live. Let every minute and every moment be an opportunity to perform puja for Mahalakshmi. Let everything we do be an offering to Her.
Each lit diya (lamp) not only brings individual light but can also be used to light others! On this Diwali, instead of displaying fireworks in the sky, causing air and noise pollution, let us become the fireworks illuminating this world through the goodness of our deeds and the selflessness of our actions.
It begins with one tree, one toilet, or even picking up one piece of litter from the road or the bank
switching off of one light, the protecting of one girl, one woman, or one resource. Let’s make this resolution and launch a new era of light in which all may bask. Hope and light are in our hands during this holiday season.
This Diwali, besides lighting the traditional lamps, if we can take a pledge to give more and want less, it will foster the inextinguishable light within. On this holy day of Diwali, I pray that you will take this opportunity to examine your own lives and pledge to infuse every word, every thought, and every action with the spirit of being the light you want to see in the world.
Swami Chidanand Saraswati is the president and spiritual head of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram, a spiritual institution based in Rishikesh.
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
40 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019




FOOD
Fit and festive
Naini Setalvad recommends some healthful food for the forthcoming days of fun and feasting
C ome Dussehra and Diwali, it is time to remember that Indian food can be very nutritious and can help us gain victory over disease and illness, making our lives radiant with well-being.
Savouries, sweets, and beverages are flowing during the festive season. However, unfortunately, the festive foods are filled with what I call ‘legalised harmful drugs.’ These are white flour and white sugar, deep-fried in bad fats, etc., that destroy our mind, body, and soul. Dussehra and Diwali are festivals celebrating the triumph of good over evil. I truly want everybody to eat food that is pure and good for you. Please understand that it is not about self-denial but simply about infusing your body with good health through fruits, dry fruits, seeds, nuts, coconut, desi cow’s ghee, milk, paneer (Indian cottage cheese). And just see how your entire being dances with positive vibrations, not just through the festive season but all year round!
So, let’s switch to good food and stop the self-destruction around and within us, like Goddess Durga, who fights against evil and always comes out victorious. This Diwali, fill your platter with pure foods that wholly satisfy your five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound.
42 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


Here are some healthy options during the festive season:
Sweet:
• Mithais made with dry fruits like anjeer (figs), khajoor (dates), apricots, raisins, etc., and nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts, etc., which are vegan and gluten-free.
• Payassam made with unpolished basmati rice, jaggery, and coconut milk is also vegan. • Sandesh made with nolen gur (date palm jaggery).
• Mishti doi (sweet curd) made with nolen gur.
• Pineapple shrikhand made with stevia and milk.
• Puran puri made with whole wheat flour, desi cow’s ghee, jaggery, and a lentil, making it lactose- free.
• Sheera made with whole wheat flour and jaggery.
• Rasgulla made with stevia.
• Gur papdi made with whole wheat flour, jaggery, and cow’s ghee.
• Biranj made with saffron, dry fruits, jaggery, and unpolished basmati rice.
Savoury:
• Roasted and salted nut mix of almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and cashews.
• Roasted and salted seed mix of pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, melon, and flax seeds. • Sweet potato chaat.
• Makhana chaat.
• Farali aloo with chaat masala.
• Aloo tikkis with ragda, green chutney, and date chutney.
• Dhoklas with green chutney.
• Baked samosa with green chutney.
• Panyaram with coconut chutney.
• Roasted chivda with nuts and dry fruits.
Once you start eating these pure and delicious foods that are made with fresh ingredients, you won’t feel the slightest temptation to turn to the fried, sugary, festive treats that are bad for you. There is no way you will feel deprived. I remember the words of our late president Abdul Kalam: “Healthy food, healthy body, and healthy mind.” These words—which he said to me while awarding me and many like-minded people on 16 August 2008 for spreading nutrition awareness throughout the country—resonate in my mind. So now, let us all collectively work towards making our nation the health capital of the universe!
Food 43


Here are some recipes for healthy alternatives you can serve during the festive season:
1. Makhana Chaat
Ingredients:
100 gm makhana
150 gm curd
1tsp cow’s ghee
1⁄4 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp sweet khajoor (dates) chutney 1⁄4 tsp jeera (cumin) powder
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Roast the makhana in a hot kadai (frying pan) and allow it to cool. 2. Blend the curd and add salt and jeera powder to it.
3. Place a few makhanas in a bowl.
4. Pour the curd over it till the makhanas are soaked.
5. Put 1 tsp sweet chutney over it.
6. Sprinkle red chilli powder over it.
7. Serve immediately or the makhanas will become soft.
2. Khajoor Nuts Barfi
Ingredients:
1 cup seedless dates, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped mixed nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, and pistachios
1⁄4 tsp skimmed milk
1tsp ghee
Method:
1. Roast all the mixed nuts on a tawa (griddle) till they turn brown. Now, in a separate pan, melt the
ghee and add the roasted nuts till they release an aroma.
2. Blend the seedless dates and milk together until smooth.
3. Sauté this mixture in a non-stick pan till it is well cooked and till the mixture leaves the sides of
the pan. Add the dry fruits, and mix well.
4. Pour this mixture into a mould (slightly greased) and allow it to rest until cool. Cut it in square
or bar-shaped pieces and serve.
44 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


3. Seed Mix
Ingredients:
2 tbsp flax seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp sunflower seeds 2 tbsp melon seeds Sea salt to taste
Method:
1. Mix all the seeds in a bowl and keep it aside.
2. Take 4 to 5 tbsp water, add salt, and mix well. 3. Pour the salt water in the seed mixture and mix it well.
4. Dry roast the mixture in a wok by periodically
stirring it till you get a nutty smell and crisp texture.
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
Food 45


CELEBRATION
Festival of enlightenment
Anupam Srivastava deconstructs Diwali as a celebration of man attaining enlightenment and not merely the victory of good over evil as considered by most
46 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019


Each year, Diwali is celebrated with What is Diwali?
much hope in India. Hindus believe
that by worshipping Goddess Lakshmi in all earnestness on this auspicious day, they will be able to invite good fortune and abundance in their lives and banish scarcity forever.
The religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India. The festival is associated with a diversity of deities, traditions, and symbolism as well as with diverse local harvest festivals, that fuse into one pan-Hindu festival with a shared spiritual significance.
One tradition links the festival to legends in the Hindu epic Ramayan, where Diwali is the day Vishnu’s avatar Ram, Lakshmi’s avatar Sita, Shesha’s avatar Lakshman, and Shiva’s avatar Hanuman reached Ayodhya after a 14-year period in exile, with Ram’s army of ‘good’ having defeated the demon king Ravana’s army of ‘evil,’ in the Treta Yuga.
As per another popular tradition, in the Dwapar Yuga, Lord Krishna killed the Demon Narakasur, who was the evil king of Pragjyotishapur (a place near present-day Assam) and released 16000 girls captured by him. Diwali is also celebrated as the symbol of the triumph of good over evil after Lord Krishna defeated Narakasur. The day before Diwali is celebrated as Naraka Chaturdasi, the day on which Narakasur was killed by Lord Krishna.
Mythical tales shared on Diwali vary widely depending on the region, yet all share a common focus on righteousness, self- inquiry, and the importance of knowledge, which is the path to overcome the ‘darkness of ignorance.’ The retelling of these myths is a reminder of the Hindu belief that good ultimately triumphs over evil.
Almost all traditions or legends have a demon (evil) who is to be eventually annihilated (killed or removed) by the incarnation of Lord Vishnu (good) to re-establish original order (dharma) at the culmination of the story. The irony, however, is that over the years, generation after generation, we have parroted the ritualistic aspect of the story whereas its real significance and purpose is completely lost. Ask anyone the reason behind celebrating Diwali or its significance and all you will get is: Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after his exile and it’s a celebration of the victory of good over evil. But what does that actually mean or what is its significance or relevance in your life? That’s where silence greets us.
There must necessarily be a profound reason and purpose behind the beautiful story of Ramayan which depicts the life of Lord Ram. Let us now try and understand how we have travelled from the original idea to its current form.
Truth and its symbolism
There has always been a discussion and debate over whether the Vedas and the Puranas
Celebration 47


are different texts or are they connected in any way. Broadly speaking, the Vedas and Vedanta (known as the Upanishads) are more philosophical in nature and are a collection of profoundly original ideas on the concept of relation between God and man. All Vedanta schools concern themselves with the following three categories (although they differ in their views regarding the concept and the relations between them): Brahma, the ultimate metaphysical reality; Atma or Jivatma, the individual soul or self; and Prakriti, the empirical world, ever-changing physical universe, body, and matter. Whereas the Puranas have a mythical way of presenting the same Vedic thoughts and ideas in a symbolic story format.
The Bhagavat Puran is amongst the most celebrated and popular texts in the Puranic genre and is of non-dualistic tenor. The Puranic texts use ideas, concepts, and even names that can be interpreted literally as well as philosophically. The Vishnu Puran recites a myth where the names of the characters are loaded with symbolism and philosophical significance:
“The progeny of Dharma by the daughters of Daksha were as follows: by Sraddhá (devotion) he had Kama (desire); by Lakshmí (wealth, prosperity), was born Darpa (pride); by Dhriti (courage), the progeny was Niyama (precept); by Tushti (inner comfort), Santosha (contentment); by Pushti (opulence), the progeny was Lobha (cupidity, greed); by Medhá (wisdom, experience), Sruta (sacred tradition); by Kriyá (hard work, labour), the progeny were Danda, Naya, and Vinaya (justice, politics, and education); by
Buddhi (intellect), Bodha (understanding);
by Lajjá (shame, humility), Vinaya (good
behaviour); by Vapu (body, strength), Vyavasaya
(perseverance). Shanti (peace) gave birth to
Kshama (forgiveness); Siddhi (excellence) to
Sukha (enjoyment); and Kírtti (glorious speech)
gave birth to Yasha (reputation). These were
the sons of Dharma; one of whom, Kama (love, t emotional fulfilment) had baby Hersha (joy) by
48 LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019
his wife Nandi (delight).
The wife of Adharma (vice, wrong, evil) was Hinsá (violence), on whom he begot a son Anrita (falsehood), and a daughter Nikriti (immorality): they intermarried, and had two sons, Bhaya
F P a c
G
G L A
I (fear) and Naraka (hell); and twins to them, two t
daughters, Máyá (deceit) and Vedaná (torture), who became their wives. The son of Bhaya (fear) and Máyá (deceit) was the destroyer of living creatures, or Mrityu (death); and Dukha (pain) was the offspring of Naraka (hell) and Vedaná (torture). The children of Mrityu were Vyádhi (disease), Jará (decay), Soka (sorrow), Trisha (greediness), and Krodha (wrath). These are all called the inflictors of misery and are characterised as the progeny of Vice (Adharma). They are all without wives, without posterity, without the faculty to procreate; they perpetually operate as causes of the destruction of this world.”
A close study of the above paragraphs reveals how deftly the idea of cause and its concomitant effect have been highlighted by personifying virtues and vices to make it easier for the masses to remember them. The core intention of the Puranas is to assist a common person of average intelligence in comprehending highly intellectual Vedic philosophy through a story format.
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Celebration 49


50
LifePositive | OCTOBER 2019
How sages view Ramayan
With this intention, the Puranas link gods to men, both generally and in religious bhakti context. Therefore, when Maharishi Valmiki had the personal experience of the reality, he must have realised the spiritual significance of the incarnations of Lord Ram and his divine entourage in terms of a human being’s personal spiritual journey from darkness to illumination, ignorance to enlightenment, and unawareness to mindfulness.
The life of Lord Ram, as presented in the Ramayan highlights four main components responsible for creating human experiences. The first one is the person (the experiencer that is you or me); second being our antahkarana (internal instruments, a conclave of man, buddhi, chit, and ahankar, i.e., our mind, intellect, consciousness, and ego respectively) responsible for external manifestations of dharma; the third component is adharma (the negativity in us) which causes the weakening of the internal instrument, eventually causing the destruction of dharma; and the fourth component is mental strength (the power of the mind) with which one must fight the everyday war between dharma and adharma to protect and resurrect the Self. Life as lived by Lord Ram provides an ordinary person on the path of Self-realisation with a process to achieve the highest levels of purity.
The story of the Ramayan and its culmination into the festival of Diwali should have been a blueprint for our lives, which, unfortunately, has now been reduced to merely a day of ritualistic celebration without understanding its real import. This is how I would like
the plot of the Ramayan to be read and the lessons to be learned and understood:
Ramayan as inner journey
When Sita (my antahkarana) gets fascinated by the world of sense objects (the golden deer) and wants to possess and aggrandise them, Ram (the person) cannot refuse the call of Sita and is compelled to chase after the world of sense objects (the golden deer). This makes way for Ravan (adharma) in his various forms, i.e., Hinsá (violence), Anrita (falsehood), Bhaya (fear), Máyá (deceit), Trishna (avarice), and Krodha (wrath) to take roots in me through Panchavati (the abode of the five senses) and my antahkaran is eventually abducted
(Sita Haran) by adharma (Ravan, the epitome of vice, wrong, evil).
Consequently, Ram (me) is suffering as he has lost his beloved wife Sita (my real and essential nature, my dharma). When one loses one’s real nature, there is no peace or happiness. This
is the story of
all of us and
this is where we
find ourselves,
suffering in life.
We are all desperate
to find peace of mind and
happiness. The remedy
prescribed by our scriptures
the life of Lord Ram is the Vedic doctrine
and by


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